US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not approved the transfer of a significant batch of Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials and military officers cited by the Kyiv Independent on October 19, 2026.
Already paid for
A Ukrainian official said the missiles had already been paid for by Ukraine’s allies. “Hegseth has the contracts for Patriot missiles on his desk. He is not signing off on them,” the official said. Kyiv suspects Washington is holding back the weapons to put pressure on Ukraine.
Twelve a month
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there were delays in “certain types of vital supplies” and pointed to the US Department of Defense. He said the United States delivers only 12 Patriot interceptors to Ukraine each month, far below what is needed to counter Russia’s ballistic missile attacks.
Denials
A US government official called Ukraine’s claims “not true.” A NATO official said deliveries under the PURL mechanism, through which allies fund US weapons for Ukraine, including air defence, were continuing.
Rising stakes
The dispute came as Russia stepped up ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv and other cities and as Ukraine’s interceptor stocks ran critically low, with Kyiv also facing disruptions to early warning and satellite communications.
Sources
Image note: The featured image was generated by AI based on the content of this article. It is an illustration, not an actual photograph of the people, places or events described.
